Harvard
by UnbalancedTruth
Summary: Balancing life as the strongest mafia family's don and a meekly college student is just as hard as it sounds – keeping it a secret's no walk in the park, either. [idea based purely on a post originating from chamiryokuroi's tumblr—check it out guys! the image is by the same artist] Adult!Tsuna, boss!Tsuna, Adult!Reborn, exasperated!Tsuna
1. Chapter 1

**Author's notes:/ this fic was written purely thanks to chamiryokuroi's tumblr post and I couldn't have done it without its genius, although I sincerely hope you guys enjoy it.  
>lemme know if I should make this an actual thing an not a one-two chapter deal, since I do have a bunch of ideas on how to expand the plot<br>****also, here's to drunk Reborn's shenanigans which end up getting poor decimo shipped off to America****  
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><p>Prologue.<p>

"Happy birthday!," voices cheered as glasses clinked against each other.

"Happy birthday, dame-Tsuna," Reborn slurred through his glass, tipping the emptied glass back. "Didn't think you'd survive to your eighteenth.. then again, _I'm_ your tutor,"

"Reborn, I think you've had enough to drink – maybe you should put the glass down-"

"Don't tell me when I have or haven't had enough, punk," the taller man waved the glass at his front threateningly, but all it did was succeed in making him look as uncoordinated as a three year old child. "I'm the number one hitman, I'll drink whenever and as much as I damn well please."

Tsuna – the acclaimed birthday boy – shut his mouth, drawing lips into a straight, undefined line. His birthdays all cruised in a similar fashion; he would pretend he _hadn't_ grown another year in the guidance of the devil himself, get reminded of the very fact and dragged out to a night of so called 'celebrating' that he'd end up regretting by the end of the day[which really only consisted of good food, Reborn getting piss drunk with Tsuna having to take care of him for the remainder of the night]. Rinse, repeat.

"You've always been good at talking back, stupid disciple."

"It's because you always cause trouble for me, Reborn," Tsuna grated out in a moment of uncharacteristic menace aimed his upperclassman's direction. "Act your age."

He comprehended his shortcoming a moment too late; the moment a glass flew, catching him square in the chest.

Reborn, occupying the body of a twenty something year old a little too tall and a little too broad-shouldered for Tsuna's good, stood, shattered glass cracking against the pressure of his heel. "Act my age? Act my age, he says."

"No, I wasn't-" Tsuna tried, fruitlessly, caught in the other's pace.

"I have an idea, why don't I have _you_ act your age?" Tsuna instantly withdrew, sensing the _ridiculous_ amounts of trouble that single sentence foretold. His elder was so problematic when drunk, more so than regularly.

Reborn didn't drink. Not while angry, sad or any of the motions in between. He claimed it had to do with his profession; hitmen couldn't let themselves be thrown under the mercilessness of alcohol. Tsuna understood that – he also understood Reborn's decision to have an 'off day', a single twenty four hour period where he would indulge in the self proclaimed 'hitman poison'. What he didn't understand, however, was why Reborn had to choose Tsuna's birthday – _of all the days – _to turn into a drunken sailor?

"I've just turned eighteen, Reborn."

"Exactly, you've just turned eighteen. As such, opportunities previously unavailable to your person have made themselves known. Why don't we have you take advantage of one of the many up sides of being an eighteen year old _man_?"

"I'd rather not," he flattened, turning his back to the older man. Maybe if he ignored him, Reborn would go away to bother someone else.

"I think," Reborn continued, his tone securing that sadistic streak he never worked to keep at bay. "That you should go to _college_." _Say what?_

"I think that's a wonderful idea, juudaime!" Gokudera hopped in – very much uninvited –, leaning into Tsuna's personal space. "College is a wonderful experience! You'll have the opportunity to relish in many great things!" There it was again, that word; opportunity. Tsuna had had enough of 'opportunities' in his life.

"See? Your bright right hand man agrees," Reborn peppered, slamming his hand against the counter Tsuna was seated at. "What's more, we should make it a _foreign_ college; how _amazing_ would that be?"

"That's a perfect idea, Reborn-san!" Gokudera agreed wholeheartedly, not catching the other's hidden intentions. In his thoughts, it was nothing other than another chance for the tenth to enjoy himself. "How about America? It's very exchange friendly! Plus, juudaime's English is perfect!" Gokudera damn you stop shoving ideas down his throat he'll just twist them around to his liking-

"Genius, no wonder you're his right hand man."

Tsuna wanted to die, and _god knew_ he'd done that enough times as is. "Stop kidding around, you two. I don't even like America."

"Here's your opportunity to come to like it." _Opportunity, opportunity, opportunity…_

"Let us start making plans immediately, Reborn-san!" Tsuna jerked up from his seat, hands clenching at his sides, frown plastered to his features. "At least let me enjoy my birthday in peace," he murmured inaudibly, catching Reborn's amused gaze.

"Of course, birthday boy. Tomorrow then."

"Certainly! Tomorrow, juudaime!" How had Gokudera turned into an accomplice?

A firm nod, Tsuna strayed from the duo, aiming to distract himself with the drinking game Bianchi had been conducting for the past fifteen minutes. If there was any good left in the world, Reborn would wake up tomorrow, toss aside that stupid whim of an idea and they could all resume their lives in _Italy_. He would forget, Tsuna assured himself, he tended to.

_However, this time around, he never ended up forgetting._


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note:/I apologize for rushing this chapter, and having everyone look very uncaring like wtf gokudera would be the last one to let tsuna go anywhere without him and what about reborn he follows his useless student everywhere—there's a reason for that, I promise.  
>also, don't ask where the remainder of the guardians are that has a point to it too<strong>

**thank you very much for the follows, favorites and reviews! it inspired me to write a little snippet today! please keep them coming!**  
><strong>be warned that most of these chapters will be around a thousand or so words[meaning it'll be me cutting massive chapters into little ones haha], it's easier for me to write and gives you guys faster updates<strong>  
><strong>so that's that<strong>  
><strong>moving on to the story!<strong>

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><p><em>"You have to learn what you'll be fighting against."<em>

Those were the words that'd done him in – a gateway to his demise.

Tsuna never thought himself to be an especially unfortunate person. His life had been put at risk more times than he could count, sure, he'd taken dives down endless cliffs just for kicks, sure, gotten shot on numerous incidents then being forced to extract the bullet by hand, _sure, _but never to the point where he would recognize his life as unfavorable.

He had a family of worrisome nature, give or take a negligent parent, friends who somewhat cared for his wellbeing, along with a _famiglia _which followed his every word to a T, thrown at the pointed whims of his mercy.

All things considered, he was lucky.

He was fortunate, and yet.. Tsuna stood shoulders sagging, observing the mass of locals mixed with foreigners walking past. People rushing to business meetings, some eager to see their families to the point of traveling thousands of miles, most of which Tsuna assumed weren't _being forced into involuntary travel by their Spartan of a home tutor_.

Flashback to two days prior.

Tsunayoshi awoke to sounds of aggressive growling, followed by a rough, sand-papery texture lapping at the surface of his cheek. "Nuts.." the fresh adult growled, swatting his hand across his face in a indicator of irritation.

"Ah! I apologize, juudaime! It's one of Uri's temper tantrums! She just came inside and wouldn't come out no matter how long I called, but I couldn't leave her to bother you further." Gokudera, who – as Tsuna had come to notice – had let himself into the room, bowed deeply, locks of silver draping across his facial features. "I will now proceed to punish myself for interrupting juudaime's beauty sleep!"

"It's far from beauty sleep, Gokudera," Tsuna in return countered, rubbing at his eyes absentmindedly. "It's fine.. what time is it?"

"It is eleven thirty, juudaime," his right-hand man answered eagerly, delighted by his boss' merciful nature.

"What?" Tsuna breathed, tossing both legs over the edge of his 'too big to house one' custom made bedding. "Why didn't anyone wake me up?" More precisely, Reborn; usually if was the latter who barged into his room to alert him of it being eight am.

"Reborn-san mentioned that with it being your eighteenth birthday, he would allow for you to oversleep. He said it was a big day for you!"

Next thing Gokudera knew, Tsuna bolted from his stationary position, leaving an after image of a transparent Tsuna carrying an expression the other was familiar with – it was his way of expressing a sense of trouble brewing.

"Reborn!" For the first time in months, Tsuna found himself being the one to slam against his tutor's doors, practically pulling the flimsy aperture off its hinges. "What did you do," no question mark, no 'maybe'.

The accused party chuckled, his back turned to the antagonizing decimo. He was so quick to make accusations.. "Why Tsuna, what a surprise. Did you have a nice rest?"

_Trouble trouble trouble trouble trouble_—Tsuna's mind raced as he sauntered to his teacher's side, grabbing hold of the back of his chair. "I smell trouble.. Reborn, what did you do," he repeated, this time more precisely, sharply.

"I don't know what you're talking about," the hitman spoke in feigned offense, placing the back of his palm against his chest. "I've been here, filling out forms for the past two hours," he pointed to a stack of papers written in a language Tsuna recognized as English. However, one intricately decorated sheet called out to him.

He swiped the paper underneath Reborn's watchful gaze and just the act of no rebuttal had Tsuna's thoughts trailing all the wrong places. "_Dear interested party, your offer has been carefully.._"words disappeared, lost in focus for the next few seconds. "_as such, we're pleased to inform you of having been accepted into our esteemed college—_Reborn?" he flapped the crushed sheet in front of the older's face. "What is this supposed to be?"

At that, the infamous hitman's lips stretched out into a smile, stealing the application none too gracefully. "It's simple, dame-Tsuna. I've arranged your college application – accepted, as you see – guess who'll be traveling in two days time?"

Tsuna's form slid to the ground in defeat, both hands brought up to shelter his face from reality. This wasn't possible. Exactly that, _it wasn't possible _and he should just go back to sleep. Then this horrible nightmare would be over and _goddammit he'd had just about enough of Reborn and his flippant attitude why him_—

"Enjoy, esteemed student of mine." _Why him._

Fast forward to today's current.

Money.. check. Suitcase.. double check. Motivation.. had he misplaced that one?

"There's nothing to worry about, juudaime!" Gokudera cheered assuredly. "The material is extremely simple, way below your level! You'll do perfectly! It'll be a walk in the park!"

_'What kind of park?_' Tsuna wondered somberly, rubbing his knuckles together. "Thanks for the pep talk, Gokudera," although there was next to nothing that could heave him out of this shadowed despair—except maybe having the entire thing called off as nothing but a dirty, _dirty _joke played by his tutor?

"Anytime, juudaime!" But that, Tsuna confirmed deep down, wasn't happening anytime soon.

"You should be thankful, dame-Tsuna, this is a rare chance," his devil tutor spoke, not bothering to wipe the amusement off his face. If only he didn't look so smug.. if only he _wasn't_ so smug.

"I've been to America, Reborn." On more occasions than he could count – America's crime syndicate was almost as aggressive as Italy's therefore, it required his attention as well as a rooted position in the States' underground. "There's nothing rare or chanceful about this."

"Don't be a baby. You're the Tenth Generation's Vongola Boss. Act like one." Tsuna's eyes narrowed. Oh sure, when Reborn said it, it was perfectly justified, but as soon as Tsuna himself started pointing fingers suddenly there was a _problem_.

'_Spoken by the true baby._'

"Now, now.." Yamamoto soothed, more than used to the teacher-student exchange. "Tsuna can handle it," he secured, hand resting on his boss' shoulder. "Like you said, you've been to America, you know the works. Shouldn't be difficult."

"If you lose to America's educational system, I'll bite you to death, Tsunayoshi." Hibari added, leaning against the wall. If he could survive Japan's schooling process[which by Hibari's standards were ways more difficult], a measly country such as the USA shouldn't pose a problem; especially to the man Hibari had gone out of his way to acknowledge as an equal.

"So basically you're saying 'don't make me look bad'? Thanks for the reassurance, Hibari-san," the brunet mumbled, taking his single to-go suitcase by the handle. "I'll leave now."

"Good luck, juudaime!"

"Good luck, Tsuna!" the duo voiced simultaneously, one gracing Tsuna with a respectful bow while the other went with a rather casual – customary to Yamamoto's attitude – shoulder embrace, patting his friend on the back.

"Aren't you going to hug me, Hibari-san?" he hummed in hinted mockery, forced to dodge a jab to the neck moments after. "The baby's attitude is rubbing off on you, Tsunayoshi," the skylark countered readily, being the first to retreat to his personal vehicle.

"Don't die, useless student." Reborn waved his parting words, pivoting straight back to the limousine; he had some arrangements to make, ones that required his immediate attention.

"Yeah," came the delayed reply, Tsuna's person already halfway across the airport's corridors. If he looked back, he'd just have to get shoved in the baggage compartments because _he definitely wouldn't want to go_. "I'll try not to." If he did well enough, perhaps they'd ship him right back to Japan? Tsuna exhaled through his nose; now that was a thought.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note:/ as always thank you for the follows and favorites! they keep me going- since i'm lame sometimes i sit there refreshing the page and when i get a new favorite i become super happy you don't even understand, haha  
>to guest-san[who's name idk bc they never sign themselves ;;], this is a completely tsuna-centric fic, so no worries about ocs taking the spotlight[though i will have to involve plenty of ocs mainly bc of how the story is made and where it's happening though it'll be weird having names like MIKE and FRANK aside from tsuna lmao]<br>i plan on giving tsuna ALL of the shine**

**also yes i made him tall sue me**

**enjoy!**

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><p>"Excuse me, sir?" Tsuna rustled in his seat, arm splayed across his eyes to shelter from the invading light. "We've landed," the flight attendant provided helpfully, removing her palm from its previous resting position on Tsuna's shoulder.<p>

"Thank you," the brunet muttered sleepily, in faultless English.

"Certainly," the woman by his seat smiled pleasantly. "Is there anything I can get for you? Perhaps a glass of water..?" she proposed, examining the exotic male's graceful features.

"Water would be nice," Tsuna returned the smile with a ghostly one of his own, still under the after effects of slumber.

"If you don't mind me saying," she added. "Your English is remarkable."

Tsuna hoisted himself up, leaning against both elbows for better leverage. "Thank you very much," he flashed the woman a set of pearly whites, his smile firmer. "I don't receive many compliments for it." Unless one branded Gokudera's excessive use of floral adjectives a subtype of 'praise'.

"Definitely, there isn't a lick of an accent," she pursued, hands clasped across her stomach. "Now if you'll excuse me." With that, she gave a brief nod of the head as opposed to the customary bow he would receive in his home country, fluttering off to fetch Tsuna's water.

Tsuna stretched, raising both arms above his head, waiting for the appreciative crack; stiffness of his upper body was one of the few downsides of flying middle class. Gokudera insisted his boss travel in nothing less than luxury given his title, but Tsuna, having grown up in humbleness, preferred to abstain from such extravagance.. in most cases.

"Here's your water, sir," the woman – her tag read Danielle – appeared, bottled water in one hand and bagged salted peanuts in the other. "It's complimentary."

Tsuna accepted both offerings with a polite dip of the head, twisting the bottle cap and throwing it back to refresh his consciousness; he favored flight over, say, extended car rides, but even he suffered from jetlag.

"May I ask where you're traveling?" Danielle inquired friendlily whilst waiting for further instructions from the airplane's pilot – it'd still be a few minutes before the passengers were guided to the various exits scattered at the sides of the plane. "I assume you're not from here?"

"I'm from Japan," he offered, releasing his bottom half from the confines of the provided seatbelt. "It's not my first time here, but it's my first time staying long term." Long term.. Tsuna's skin crawled. Italy was one thing, his _famiglia_ resided there, but America..

"Long term? Are you visiting family?" she assumed, to which Tsuna shook his head good-naturedly. "Not family. I don't have family in America." Not blood related, at least. "I'm here to study," he flattened, because sometimes honesty was the best way to go. "It was kind of a last minute decision, not really my choice. I was told it's for my own good, so I went." Okay, maybe not _complete_ honesty.

"Study?" Danielle chimed delightfully, clapping her hands together. "It's true, America has some of the best courses for students. Are you attending college..?" His age was questionable, she noted; he wasn't a child, that was for certain, if his body proportions were anything to go by, though his facial features did retain that bit of youthfulness he might've had at a younger time. Previously doe eyes narrowing into two analytical orbs yet harmonious in nature, defined jaw, full cheeks.. his charm deterred from the typical states' boy look.

"College, yes," he nodded, downing the last remaining droplets of water. He caught her mouth opening, but before she could ask, he answered in prediction to her inquiry. "HLS."

"Harvard..? My..! That's quite incredible!" If there ever was a 'not the type' label, she would've slapped one right on the other's forehead. "My apologies, but I took you as a more artsy fellow. It's surprising." Danielle, the ever friendly, ever intrusive flight attendant, was how he'd branded _her_.

"I'm not a fan of the arts, actually." His singing voice wasn't bad – quite the opposite actually, he no longer had two left feet and a third knee to stun him but past wounds had yet to heal so he still possessed a type of averseness for the course. "I'm more into the sciences, actually."

Just when Danielle had gotten interested, enough to further persist on the male's company, the speakers sounded loudly through the entire plane, signaling for the passengers to make their way to the designated exits.

Tsuna stood, dusting off nonexistent lint from the top half of his jeans, pocketing the unopened packet of treats. "Excuse me," he slid out of his seat, towering over the flight attendant by a good head; he'd had his growth spurt somewhere throughout his sixteenth, going on seventeenth, and if nothing, at least is secured he wouldn't out like a sore thumb. For once in his life, he thanked god for his Italian origins.

Usually, when Tsuna traveled, the passengers tended to consist of his guardians, Reborn, a few trusted individuals and himself taking a private jet. Waiting for clearance, the thought of missing Japan's rush hour quickly dissipated from Tsuna's heart. Dozens upon dozens of people piled up on one another, working to push their way through the masses, all clutching their bags and making it _that_ much harder for Tsuna to move out from the spot his feet were rooted in; and he thought the Japanese were violent.

"Please move along to retrieve your belongings," a dull man spoke from behind a glass-protected box, gesturing for Tsuna to get a move on.

He swept through assorted bags, timing his grab perfectly as to not bother the remaining passengers. "Sonny," his sleeve pulled, he glanced down to lock eyes with an elderly woman pointing at a _ridiculously_ large grey traveling suitcase. "would you be a dear and get that for me?" A gingerly smile tossed the grandma's way, Tsuna reached over the accumulation of differently styled bags, pulling it out of the heap with ease.

"Oh, oh! Thank you dearie, such a well-behaved boy!" the older woman cooed while Tsuna worked to tug the log of a bag into an upright position – he was a tad worried about the woman. How could she possibly carry something that size?

"I'm sorry," he said for the hundredth time that day. "Is someone coming to pick you up?"

"I think so," the woman mused, tapping an index finger against her chin. "I think my son is coming."

She thought? Internally sighing, Tsuna cursed his weakness towards old people. If there was anyone you'd see helping an elderly woman across the street, it would be Tsuna. "Would you like for me to keep you company?"

"I'm sure you're a busy boy.." she spoke, but it was the pause at the end that reeled him in. Damn him and his sympathetic constitution. "It would be no trouble at all," he guaranteed, already moving to pull the woman's suitcase. "It'd be my pleasure."

Sometime soon, he'd need to learn how to look the other way when elderly people were involved.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's note:/ as always thank you for the follows and favorites! and the reviews too! there's just something different about written encouragement that gets me going, haha; so keep them coming!  
>also, if you have any questions, suggestions or ideas just leave a review or send me a message - i like to converse, guys! especially if it's over a written work[since i won't go as far as to call my thing literature ahahahha]<br>sorry for the delay, school has been kind of kicking my butt recently and i got sick due to stress, so i've been resting for the last few days, but I'm back in business now!  
>i know the plot is a little slow moving, but like i said, they're chunky chapters cut up into little ones, so<br>when exciting things start happening, there will probably be a lot of cliffhangers, haha.  
>okay, that's enough from me, i'm starting to bore myself.<strong>

**enjoy!**

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><p>"Sorry for the trouble, dude," a man in his twenties – Tsuna assumed his age to be a few years above his own – smacked the brunet across his upper back in fondness. "She never calls when she visits," Tsuna raised an eyebrow. "well, 'til she arrives," the man – shorter than Tsuna by a few inches – laughed a bellyaching laugh, indicating he was well used to the notion. "Old people, y' know?"<p>

"It wasn't any trouble," he insisted, handing the woman's mountain of a suitcase over to the other to store inside the trunk of a red convertible. "she was very welcoming," to a foreigner like him—she'd even treated him to a humble breakfast. "Send her my regards." Considering the woman was already comfortably nested in the passenger's seat. "Y'need a ride? As thanks." The American's hair was so unbelievably blonde, Tsuna absently wondered if he dyed it from time to time. "No need," As taunting as the offer was, he politely refused, palm spread outwardly in front of his chest. "I'll take a taxi."

"Suit yourself, man, thanks for the help again," he said his farewells, climbing into the driver's seat shortly. A short wave, then they drew off, to that person's home no doubt.

Tsuna huffed – he was going to be late at this rate, though he had to admit to not minding. His responsibility meter had spiraled from its previous state, but as far as [i his] well being was concerned, he was as careless as ever. "Taxi!" he called out to a yellow vehicle, his pocket vibrating just as the car neared the sidewalk.

Luggage going first, he followed to the back seat, closing the door. "Cambridge.. Harvard Law School," because god forbid he know the actual address. The man nodded, revving the car as Tsuna pulled out his phone, sliding his thumb across the screen to answer the call. "Hello?" he spoke in Italian – he needed to remember to turn on his caller ID; he was especially bad at remembering people's numbers. If he had to guess why, it probably had a finger two to do with his unease concerning anything mathematical.

"Did you enjoy middle class, dame-Tsuna?" came the Japanese reply.

"Reborn? How did you know when my flight would land?" Okay, that was a stupid question to ask, he reprimanded himself.

"You should've learned by now, aho-yoshi, that I know everything." Aho-yoshi—a childish jab at his name. Tsuna internally scoffed.

"Don't scoff at me, decimo," How the hell did he always know—

"Fine, Reborn, _why_ are you calling?" He had to admit to still being a little bitter about Reborn's rash decision to send him away. One would think they didn't want him there; it hurt his already fragile pride. "I thought you were _busy_,being the world's greatest hitman and all. " Okay, maybe not only _a little_ bitter.

A snort from the other side. "I _am_ busy," he rebutted. "I wanted to see how you were doing."

"That's nice," Tsuna's eyes narrowed. "Now why did you really call me?" because he knew all too well Reborn wouldn't call simply out of worry. Reborn didn't _do_ worry, Tsuna had been sure to cut that emotion in the bud.

"I can't be worried about my student?" Tsuna didn't care to dignify that with a response; Reborn was such a tyrant sometimes. "I called to inform you on some details with your scholarship." Come again?

"Scholarship?" Reborn couldn't be serious.

"Scholarship. I was surprised too." Which practically meant he couldn't just unroll if he didn't feel like doing it anymore. "You must be proud." Proud wasn't exactly the word Tsuna would use, though. "it's funny; I didn't apply you for a scholarship. I made it very clear we were willing to pay any type of tuition fee." Pertaining to his sketchy high school records, probably. He'd shaped up come the third year, but freshman and junior were not good times for him. "But when I received feedback," his tutor continued. "They accepted you under a scholarship; in a way, you lucked out," a momentary delay. "You better not get any ideas about quitting halfway, baka-yoshi."

"I won't," came the exasperated response. "If nothing, I wouldn't be able to face Gokudera." Seeing the bomber's face drop because of something _Tsuna _did, he couldn't live with that. "I'll see it through to the end." Even _he'd_ come to learn a thing or two about perseverance and not giving up.

"Perfect." Damn tutor – he was definitely smiling right now. "When you arrive, go to see the headmaster immediately. He'll explain your living arrangements, go into dept on your courses, the scholarship itself.." Reborn just didn't want to explain all of that himself, Tsuna mused. "Don't be surprised if they toss you in an occupied room; they're tight on space, or so I've heard."

"Wait, roommate? How do I—what do I—how do I make sure they don't find out?"

"Do you have any intentions on going overboard in school?" Even Reborn was aware of the.. _lengths _Tsuna was willing to go to. "Do you want to cause a fiasco?" It would fall short of nothing than. "Get yourself expelled?"

"No—no! I don't, but.. what if something happens? People know me in America, Reborn." In his defense, people knew him in most places. "What if someone gets attacked? What if they aim for my roommate? How do I—"

"You do what you have to do without getting found out." Easy for him to say, he wasn't the one attending a famous multicultural college in one of the most dangerous counties in the world. Then again, Tsuna had survived both the brutality Russia's government and the intensity of the Chinese triads, both of which had posed great threats to his family _and_ him, so maybe the USA wouldn't be that big of a thorn. Who knew? He might even finish his education without any major incidents; one could only ignorantly hope.

"I won't let anyone get hurt, Reborn," When had this turned from innocent implications to Tsuna swearing it upon himself to protect whoever he deemed needed it? "I've got to go, I can see the.." It was hardly a building. "Place." Oh god, oh _god_, he would _so_ get lost in there. Hadn't Americans heard about something called modesty? He'd seen pictures, but it didn't compare to the actual thing. How was he expected to—"This is ridiculous."


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's note:/ ahhhhhhhhhhhhh gghhhhhh i know it's been so so so sososo long since i've updated this, and i honestly have no excuse other than.. school's been kicking my butt.  
>but hopefully now that winter holidays are rolling in, i'll have the chance to brush up on my writing!<br>this chapter is a bit unorthodox, mostly because it features another person's point of view - also, please tell me what you think of him! uvu - but if it bugs you, don't worry, tsuna's pov will be back around the time the next chapter rolls in-so just tough through it, haha.  
>as always thank you for the follows and favorites! and the reviews too! there's just something different about written encouragement that gets me going, haha; so keep them coming!<br>also, any suggestions you might have about the plotline - ideas and such - are very welcome! in fact, i enjoy working off sudden ideas rather than a planned plotline a lot more.  
>anyways, enough with my shenanigans, on with the chapter!<strong>

**enjoy!**

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><p>Richard hated America.<p>

Actually, hate wasn't strong enough of a word, considering he'd gotten mugged on his very first day there, _despite_ threatening the three perpetrators with a lawsuit. If he'd known – correction, if his father had _told_ him America would end up being a fisher's net for trouble, he would've gone to Germany, or Italy, or even sodding Australia, and god knows how afraid of spiders he was.

But his father hadn't. Nobody had. He was here, wasn't he? In the midst of it all, this clown of a country, for lack of better wording.

Not saying living here didn't have its perks, because it did, oh how it did—girls just ate his accent right up, but other than that, he very well could've gone _without_ having his money taken from him on countless occasions. Some would say it's his fault for always carrying that big of an amount with him, but he'd shoot them down with a good ole 'where else am I supposed to put it', and that would be that.

"Mister Knox, fetch me Poe's most recent works."

"But sir, the library is in another building.." a pointed look aimed his way, honor student Richard Knox smartly shut his mouth. "Yes, sir," with an inaudible grumble, he slid out of his seat, moving outside the classroom and down the hallway, towards the library—which just happened to be situated on the exact opposite side of where he was now. Great.

Damn self-righteous Americans. If they wanted something, they should damn well go and 'fetch' it themselves.

"I-I'm sorry! I'll pay for the expenses!" a distant voice – though audible – caught his attention just as he was moving to turn a corner. "It's just a coffee stain, it'll come right out!"

"It's not the coffee stain, ya Chinese shit, it's that ya ran into me and didn't apologize," another voice countered smugly, reeling Richard in. Curious bastard, that's him.

"I did apologize, though, three times already." once he was closer to the scene of the crime, he heard the other one – a brunet, foreigner by all odds – mutter bitterly, ducking his head in a gingerly bow. Richard couldn't see his face, otherwise he would've pinpointed the other's descent in a matter of moments. That hairdo was a sight to behold, was the first thing that'd popped into mind.

"Ahh, I got an idea—ya know how ya Chinese do that bow..what ya call it..?" he aimed a finger at the brunette, demanding clarification.

"Do you mean dogeza..?" Oh, Richard concluded, so he was Japanese.

"Yeah, that doge-whatever ya call it, where ya kneel down and shit," he made a show of placing both palms on the sides of his knees – stupidly, Richard thought – a smirk decorating his all too average features. "Like this, only on the ground. If ya do that, I'mma forgive ya for spilling coffee on me," he finished, succeeding in appearing even stupider than Richard had estimated him of initially being. If he seriously expected the other to kneel down just for something like that..

..and there he goes.

"I humbly apologize," head plastered to the ground, he spilled without missing a beat. Did..did that Japanese even recognize the meaning of dogeza, Richard found himself thinking grimly. It was the lowest form of prostrating one's self in front of another, even he knew that. If so – and it _was _so, because Richard never made mistakes – why did this foreigner make it seem like so little of a deal?

Wasn't he embarrassed..? Richard definitely would be.

Then again, most things had him palming his face in shame.

"It was very wrong of me to spill my coffee on you and not apologize immediately," he continued, head still bowed down. "I should've fallen to my knees the moment I felt your presence," Richard's brows knotted together, puzzled – that didn't sound like a very honest apology. "But you see," he suddenly stood, spine arching so quickly he threw the other off balance. "I just arrived here. In Japan – not China," he made a point of highlighting. "– we have different standards."

"Do those standards involve acting like a cowardly idiot?" the words spilling out of his mouth before he could bite his lip, Richard sounded his mistake with a faint 'ah' that had both the brunet and the other male's attention landing pin on him. "Bowing down so easily like that makes you look stupid," he bantered on, despite knowing it really wasn't _any_ of his business – but he'd seen it, which somehow, in some way _made_ it his business. If for nothing, then at least to prove not all foreigners were mindless fools that cared more for their—

..wait, what exactly was he trying to prove?

Against all odds – Richard had honestly expected a scowl of some sorts – the brunet smiled. "That's true," an unassuming chuckle, followed by a brief nod of the head. "I suppose I should've stood my ground instead of losing my patience half way, right? Thank you very much," he admitted shamelessly – even though Richard didn't know just what he was thanking him _for_ – passing by the other male so casually you'd never think they'd been caught in a rhubarb just minutes before.

"Sawada. Tsunayoshi Sawada—though Tsuna's fine," he stuck out his head for good measure, making Richard feel like he'd be the lesser man if he didn't do the same.

So he did. "Richard Knox. Tsunar, you said?" he tried, immediately recognizing he'd all but butchered the name with his rooted accent. "No, not Tsunar," the brunet laughed this time – Richard could spot a pair of almond eyes, now that they stood face to face – one eyebrow perked upwards. "Tsuna. Tsunami but without the-"

"Without the –mi, yeah, got it. Tsuna. Nice to meet you," choosing to ignore his earlier alternations to the other's name, Richard took Tsuna's hand in a hearty handshake, pulling his hand back just short of five mississippis. After careful consideration, he felt he could maybe get along with this oddball of an Asian.

"Yoroshiku onegaishimasu, Dick-kun."

..scratch that.


End file.
